Northern Forest Alliance
Conserving our Northern Forest
for strong communities and future generations
FY10
Opportunities for
Strategic Conservation,
Strong Communities,
and a Vibrant Future
CONTENTS:
Values
THE NORTHERN FOREST ALLIANCE
is a coalition of conservation, recreation
and forestry organizations united in their
commitment to protect the Northern Forest
of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and
New York.
A publication of the
Northern Forest Alliance
54 Portsmouth Street
Concord, NH 03301
Telephone: (603) 832-3559
www.northernforestalliance.org
Cover photo: Larry Ely
VISION:
To achieve a sustainable future for the 26 million-acre Northern Forest,
in which its wildlands are permanently protected, its forests are sustainably
managed, and its local economies and communities are strong and vibrant.
Northern Forest Assets / 2
MISSION:
To work together to protect and enhance the ecological and economic
sustainability of natural and human communities in the Northern Forest.
Conservation Priorities in the
Northern Forest / 5
GOALS:
The Alliance’s priorities are threefold:
Spotlight on the Mahoosuc Initiative / 7
 To conserve wildlands in the Northern Forest to help protect the forest’s
ecological integrity, its recreational opportunities and its timber production;

To encourage well managed private forests to support the forest-based
economy, including high-value timber products, recreation tourism,
and the jobs these industries support;

To build strong, diverse, local economies that support vibrant communities
throughout the Northern Forest.
Shaping the Future: Programs Supporting the Northern Forest / 3
FY10 Conservation Priorities Map / 4
Community Enhancement and
Forestry Programs / 6
Mahoosuc Region Conservation
Opportunities / 8-9
Connecticut River Watershed/Quabbin
to Cardigan Opportunities / 10-11
Maine Woods: Importance and
Opportunities / 12-13
Forest Legacy Opportunities in
Vermont / 14
Historic Conservation Opportunity
in the Adirondacks / 15
A Call To Action for the Northern
Forest / 16
The Northern Forest
Supporting Community Efforts to Promote Conservation
and Economic Vitality
Empowering Communities for Conservation & Sustainable Economies
Over the course of 2008, the Northern Forest Alliance created new synergy with local partners through a series
of place-based conservation, policy, and economic initiatives. Highlights included:
• Mahoosuc Initiative: Our partnership with local communities helped to grow strong local support for the
Mahoosuc Gateway/Success projects, the new Lake Umbagog NWR Conservation Plan, and led to the creation
of a “touring map” supporting the growth of local tourism focused on the forest resources of the region.
• Friends of Conte NWR: The Friends worked to secure millions of dollars from LWCF for additions to the
refuge along the Connecticut River, including in the Pondicherry Unit in New Hampshire and the Nulhegan
Unit in Vermont.
• Moosehead Lake: Our outreach and education campaign helped area residents understand and address the impacts of large-scale real estate development on Maine’s rural, forest-focused communities, and contributed
to changes made in the development proposal being considered by Maine’s Land Use Regulatory Commission.
In 2009, the Alliance will continue its impressive efforts in ways that will best address both the strengths and
the needs of the Northern Forest region.
NFA Policy Initiatives Strengthen Northern Forest Communities
Following-up on the Alliance’s great success working with our Congressional Delegation to create new programs
such as the Northern Border Regional Commission, the Community Wood Energy Program, and the Community
Forest & Open Space Conservation Program, we are focusing increased energy on ensuring implementation of
these and other programs that directly support the resiliency and vibrancy of communities in and reliant upon the
Northern Forest. These programs and others, including important State & Private Forestry Programs and other rural
development priorities, are critical to the economic future of the region and the long-term sustainable use of the
region’s forests.
We urge you to join the effort. Start by contacting the Alliance today!
Page 1
Empowering
Communities
A Vast Forest in a Shrinking World
In the face of an increasingly crowded and developed world, the Northern Forest remains a distinctive place
where forests and mountains overwhelm the senses, rural communities thrive in close connection with the natural
world, and ties between neighbors remain strong. Even in the era of the Internet and cell phone, the Northern
Forest remains solidly rooted in its heritage and traditions as people draw strength, and often their livelihoods, from
the land.
Northern Forest Assets
Large Intact Forests
The Northern Forest is one of the United States’ greatest forests. It covers more than 26 million acres — larger than all of
Vermont and New Hampshire combined — and stretches from the northern woods of Maine through New Hampshire
and Vermont and into the Adirondack Mountains and Tug Hill regions of New York. Most of the Northern Forest is
undeveloped forest that supports the region’s economy and boasts a unique ecosystem supporting populations of critical
bird, game, and non-game wildlife species.
Headwaters of the Northeast
The Northern Forest contains the headwaters of every major northeastern river, including the Hudson, Connecticut, and
Androscoggin, connecting the fate of the region with more urbanized areas far away. Millions of Americans rely on this
region to protect their water supplies.
Forest Assets
High Quality Hardwoods
The Northern Forest is one of America’s original fiber baskets, and remains an important source of wood products from
pulp and paper to saw timber. The region is perhaps most noted for its high quality hardwoods and superior value-added
manufacturing that help power a strong forest products industry.
Vibrant Communities
Throughout the Northern Forest are communities that have thrived since before the founding of the United States.
The traditional economies of our northern region have been linked to the forest for more than 150 years. In the 21st
Century, these communities face challenges as does the nation as a whole, but with a culture and economy based around
the forest, the future looks bright indeed. Economic drivers for the 21st Century will include: forest products, outdoor
recreation, tourism, green energy, and other existing and developing fields.
Page 2
Shaping and Enhancing Our Future
Programs Supporting Forestry, Economic Development, and Conservation
Enhance the Future of Northern Forest Communities
The Forest Legacy Program and Land & Water Conservation Program have proven to be
the most important tools to fund land conservation in the Northern Forest. It is critical
that funding for these programs be expanded to ensure that as opportunities for productive
conservation arise, we continue the strong tradition of conservation that ensures
public access, sustainable forestry, and a multitude of recreational opportunities.
The Northern Border Regional Commission was created in 2008, after years of work by
the Alliance and the Northern Forest Congressional Delegation. Authorized at $30 million
per year for the region, this program will enable Northern Forest states to address forestry,
tourism, conservation, infrastructure improvements, telecommunications improvements,
and other critical needs with spending decisions made by the four State Governors.
The Community Forest & Open Space Conservation Program was passed in 2008, after years
of work by the Alliance and our partners. This program adds a crucial element to conservation
in the region with its clear focus of enabling communities to acquire Town Forests and
the many benefits they provide.
State and Private Forestry Programs including the Forest Stewardship Program, Urban &
Community Forestry, Cooperative Lands Forest Health Program, and the State Fire Assistance
Program are crucial to the sustainable use and management of the region’s forests and empower
State and Local governments to provide vital services to forestland owners.
The Community Wood Energy Program, like the Community Forest and Border Commission
programs, was created in the Farm Bill of 2008. This program is designed to assist communities
in creating wood-energy systems to provide heat and/or power for municipal buildings and
enable them to utilize locally sourced wood for their heat and power.
Page 3
Federal Programs
FY10 Conservation
Priorities
FY10 Northern Forest Conservation Priorities
Page 4
FY10 Northern Forest Conservation Priorities
Maine
The Katahdin Forest Expansion and Rangeley High Peaks projects will conserve more than 33,000 acres of the famed
Maine Woods, including working forests, recreation lands, wildlife habitat, and community-oriented forestlands in the
Katahdin and High Peaks regions.
New Hampshire
The Cardigan Highlands project in the Quabbin to Cardigan corridor, that will conserve more than 9,000 acres, seeks FY10
funding to ensure completion. The Mahoosuc Gateway/Success Township Phase II project, near Berlin, provides the
opportunity to ensure that more than 15,000 acres of forest in the heart of the Mahoosuc Region is available for forestry
and recreation in perpetuity.
Vermont
The Eden Forest and Adams Pond projects will protect more than 7,600 acres in the Northern Greens Corridor, a critical area
for conservation for forestry, habitat, and recreation in the northern region of the state.
New York
The Follensby Pond project, in the midst of the Adirondacks, will conserve more than 14,000 acres long sought for inclusion
in the Adirondack Park and will enable sustainable forestry and recreational access to continue in perpetuity.
Land and Water Conservation Fund Needs:
New Hampshire & Maine – Mahoosuc Region
The Mahoosuc Gateway/Success Township Phase I and Lake Umbagog NWR LWCF projects will together protect more
than 9,000 acres in the Mahoosuc region, a critical linking landscape between NH and ME, supporting communities,
recreation access, and critical habitats in both states.
New Hampshire & Maine – White Mountain National Forest
The White Mountain National Forest will use LWCF funds to conserve nearly 700 acres, in multiple parcels, to protect watersheds, meet an increasing demand for recreational activities, and reduce forest fragmentation.
New Hampshire & Vermont – Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge
LWCF Projects in the Silvio O. Conte NWR will protect critical habitat and other natural assets for communities throughout
the four-state Connecticut River watershed including vital habitats in the Pondicherry and Nulhegan Units in New Hampshire
and Vermont, and potentially in the proposed Mascoma River Unit in New Hampshire.
Vermont – Green Mountain National Forest
Green Mountain National Forest will use LWCF funds to conserve more than 1,500 acres in the Green Mountains, including wildlife habitat and recreational trail access. The Green Mountain National Forest intends to purchase multiple parcels in the Northern and Southern sections of the Forest.
Vermont – Appalachian National Scenic Trail
The National Park Service’s Chateauguay – No Town Project will protect a critical 1000-acre parcel for inclusion within the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. This parcel has long been a priority for acquisition by the Park Service and the project has
strong local support from the surrounding towns.
Page 5
FY10 Conservation
Priorities
Forest Legacy Program Needs:
Community Enhancement and
Forestry Funding Priorities
Vital Programs Supporting Critical Needs
A Partnership for the Future of the Northern Forest
Community/Forest
Priorities
I
n recent years, the Alliance has worked hard to ensure passage of new programs in the Federal Farm Bill supporting a
broad range of community needs including conversion to locally-based green energy systems, business development,
land-use planning, job training, land conservation, high-speed internet infrastructure, acquisition of community forests,
tourism development, and more. Following our success working with the Northern Forest Delegation to create the Northern
Border Regional Commission, the Community Wood Energy Program, and the Community Forest & Open Space
Conservation Program in the 2008 Farm Bill, we spearheaded actions in the region in
support of critical State & Private Forestry programs funded by the US Forest Service. It is
vital that these programs that directly support a broad range of Northern Forest communities’
needs be funded at the highest levels possible. The partnership between the Alliance, partner
organizations, communities, and the Northern Forest delegation is critical to this success.
Concerted effort is appropriate to help ensure the timely funding and implementation
of the Northern Border Regional Commission to ensure that critical funding priorities can
be acted upon expeditiously. The Commission’s focus on implementing state and regional
planning efforts, funding telecommunications, infrastructure and transportation projects,
forestry initiatives, tourism and conservation efforts, and more, will help bring needed focus
and funding to these critical regional needs that the Alliance has been working on since its
inception. As an early endorser and driving force behind the passage of the Commission, the
Alliance is excited to work with our congressional delegation, state governments, and many
partners toward the successful implementation of this program.
Passage in 2008 of the Community Wood Energy Program and Community Forest
& Open Space Conservation Program is exciting for the Alliance and for all communities
desiring a more locally-empowered and locally-controlled future. These programs help ensure that communities have the
opportunity to own, manage, and direct the use of their most important forests, and also to use locally grown wood to power
municipal buildings rather than continue depending on the oil economy. The Alliance looks forward to assisting in the effort
to implement these programs and ensure that they are utilized effectively within the Northern Forest.
In 2008, the Alliance greatly increased our efforts in support of a suite of programs within the U.S. Forest Service’s State
and Private Forestry program that support resilient communities, sound forest stewardship, and the forest-based economy.
We are excited to continue and broaden these efforts to help realize our long-term goal of sustainable forestry as the norm
in the Northern Forest region. Programs including the Forest Stewardship Program, Urban & Community Forestry, the
Cooperative Lands Forest Health Program, and the State Fire Assistance Program are critical to the needs of Northern
Forest communities. These programs ensure that resources are available to support the shared goal of landowners, state, and
local governments to manage their forestlands to the highest standards of sustainability.
Page 6
Spotlight on the Mahoosuc Initiative
Where the Alliance’s Community, Conservation,
and Leadership Roles Come Together
Page 7
Mahoosuc Initiative
S
panning 600,000 acres from the White Mountains of New Hampshire to the Western
Mountains of Maine, the Mahoosuc region is a treasure trove of productive forests,
unique natural resources and world-class recreational opportunities. It is home
to the people of Errol, Berlin, Gorham, Bethel, Newry, and other towns, all of which
remain connected to the land through a forest-based economy and a culture more than
two centuries old. To protect and enhance the Mahoosuc region’s many values – and to
counter the forces that now threaten them – significant attention and investment is urgently
needed.
The Mahoosuc region is at a crossroads. Actions taken in the next five years will play a
determining role in how the region looks, feels, and functions for future generations. Many
Mahoosuc communities are struggling with mill closings, economic globalization, and the
destabilizing effects of large land sales. Additionally, large blocks of forest are vulnerable to
intensifying development pressures that threaten to unravel the region’s cultural identity,
forest-based economy, and ecological sustainability. Land protection projects totaling more
than 35,000 acres hang in the balance and significant investment is needed to complete
these projects as well as to lay the groundwork for conservation projects that are sure to
emerge in the near future.
Recognizing the changes faced by this region and the opportunity to help create a new
model, several years ago the Alliance joined forces with local, state, regional, and national
organizations to create the Mahoosuc Initiative. The Initiative works cooperatively on a
portfolio of conservation and economic enhancement projects to address the region’s
needs. The Initiative has created synergy between efforts to support sustainable forestry,
economic development, and land conservation. Ongoing efforts include a project to help
site and fund new community-scale biomass facilities, the development and distribution of
a regional touring map featuring sites in both Maine and New Hampshire, and support of
exciting land conservation projects across the region.
While the challenges are great, so are the opportunities. The Mahoosuc region is
blessed with strong, energized communities that are eager to shape their own future and
protect the culture and landscape that defines them. Working with local citizens, members
of the Mahoosuc Initiative are building momentum around a coordinated, multi-partner
strategy designed to enhance community capacity; strengthen the local economy through
forest-based businesses related to forest-products, tourism, and renewable energy; utilize
natural resources locally; and conserve important forestlands across the region.
Land and Water Conservation Fund Projects in the Mahoosuc Region
Lake Umbagog NWR, New Hampshire & Maine
Situated in the Mahoosuc Region along the border of northern New Hampshire and western Maine, Lake Umbagog
is the westernmost link in the chain of Rangeley Lakes, famed for their excellent recreational opportunities as well as
for possessing some of the finest wildlife habitat in the two states. The refuge protects unique habitat for many wetland
dependent and migratory species including bald eagle, peregrine falcon, waterfowl species such as the declining black duck,
and many species of federal and state concern including common loon, northern harrier, woodcock, and others. In addition,
the refuge is a critical recreational asset for the region and provides a strong boost to the local tourism industry.
In partnership with the State of New Hampshire, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has an established program of land
acquisition at Lake Umbagog. An appropriation of $4,500,000 in FY 2010 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund
would be used to fund the Refuge’s current acquisition priorities: the acquisition of a conservation easement on 157-acre
Big Island and the new 2,933-acre Androscoggin Headwaters project, which is part of a larger tract of over 31,000 acres of
prime forest lands. Taken together, the projects will help ensure continued resource protection for this jewel of northern
New England, and build on a series of significant federal investments in the refuge in recent years.
Mahoosuc Initiative
PROJECT DETAILS:
Size: 3,090 acres
Type: Conservation easement and Fee acquisition
FY10 LWCF Request: $4.5 Million
Total Project Cost: $6.045 Million
Project Sponsor: Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, The Trust for Public Land
Mahoosuc Gateway/Success Township Phase I (Appalachian Trail)
The Success Township LWCF project will add about 4,700 acres to the corridor of protected land around the
Appalachian National Scenic Trail. In addition, the Mahoosuc Gateway Phase I project will fund acquisition of an
easement upon a 1,200 acre parcel of forestlands abutting the Appalachian Trail to the south. This stretch of the trail
is among the most famed and revered, crossing high elevation balds and leading to the trail’s feared “toughest mile”
through Mahoosuc Notch. The project lands are particularly important for recreation access to this popular area
because they contain a number of heavily used side trails up from Success Pond Road. Conserving these lands will help
assure continued public access for day hikes and other shorter adventures. The project lands will be complemented by
additional areas to the south of the trail corridor recently conserved by The
Conservation Fund in partnership with local communities and landowners.
The parcel is nothing short of a lynchpin to conservation of the Mahoosuc
Range, and will enable additional conservation of working forestlands that
lie adjacent to the north .
PROJECT DETAILS:
Size: 5,970 acres; 4,770 acres fee, 1,200 acres easement
Type: Fee acquisition and Conservation easement
FY10 LWCF: $1.375 Million
Total Project Cost: $4.8 Million
Project Sponsor: The Conservation Fund
Page 8
Forest Legacy Projects in the Mahoosuc Region
Mahoosuc Gateway/Success Township Phase II
The people and land are inexorably linked in North Country New Hampshire with no greater example than along the
Androscoggin River Valley, and in the Mahoosuc and White Mountains, a landscape that has defined life and provided
livelihood for centuries. However, in the last two decades, Coos County and Berlin, New Hampshire, “The City that Trees
Built,” have seen the economy built on the forests collapse with the closing paper mills and subdivision of larger forest tracts.
The 15,200 acres of the Success Township project are the “back yard” of the cities of Berlin and Gorham; its proximity
increases its importance and the potential threat. It is a noted resource to be protected for its recreational and timber values
in the Berlin Economic Development Plan, the Coos Economic Action Plan and the Mahoosuc Region Resource Report.
Potential economic benefits from this land in the future include wood to energy opportunities, sustainable fiber harvest,
potential educational forestry collaboration with local college and schools, permanent hunting, fishing and trapping access
and conservation of wildlife habitat and water quality, and myriad non-motorized and motorized recreational opportunities.
Size: 15,200 acres
Type: Conservation easement
FY10 Forest Legacy Request: $5.0 Million
Total Project Cost: $8.0 Million
Project Sponsor: The Conservation Fund
Rangeley High Peaks – Phase I
The Rangeley High Peaks Project consists of three
parcels totaling 13,446 acres in Rangeley , Madrid, and
Mount Abram Townships. The State of Maine will
acquire fee interest in the Ridge Tract, consisting of 1,163
acres of high elevation forestland bordering multiple
parcels already under State and Federal ownership. The
Ridge Tract includes one of only three snowmobile ridge
crossings along the entire 32-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail in the High Peaks region and provides buffering for the
A.T. The Orbeton Tract will be protected with a conservation easement held by the State of Maine. This 5,900-acre parcel
consists of mid-elevation timberland and includes a 3.5-mile section of Orbeton Stream, the site of an Atlantic Salmon
restoration effort. The Rangeley Tract is a 6,383-acre tract that will be protected with a conservation easement to be held
by the State of Maine. The Rangeley Tract abuts 74,000 acres of conservation land and includes over three miles of pond
frontage. The project area’s exceptional natural resource amenities and recreational opportunities, both motorized and
non-motorized, bring it under increasing pressure of conversion to non-forest uses.
PROJECT DETAILS:
Size: 13,446 acres
Type: Conservation easement and Fee acquisition
FY10 Forest Legacy Request: $3.46 Million
Total Project Cost: $4.61 Million
Project Sponsors: Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust
Page 9
Mahoosuc Initiative
PROJECT DETAILS:
The Geographic Center of the Northern Forest
Connecticut River Watershed and Quabbin to Cardigan Corridor
Historic Landscapes and Critical Habitats at Risk
urrent residents of this watershed are nurtured and connected by the Connecticut River’s
pure waters, rich soils, and highly productive forests. Residents share an appreciation of the
Connecticut River watershed as a natural treasure, and a linking corridor for fish, birds, and
wildlife. However, U.S. Forest Service research informs us that the Connecticut River watershed is
threatened by development in the coming decades. Throughout the region there are exciting and
ambitious community-led efforts to conserve the productive forests, wildlife habitat, and open public
access that are so treasured by local residents.
C
Connecticut River
Corridor
Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge, VT/NH/MA/CT
In 1991, when Congress passed and President George H.W. Bush signed legislation establishing
the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service) was charged to study and strategically conserve the aquatic and terrestrial habitat resources
of the entire 7.2 million acre Connecticut River watershed. The watershed comprises fully one-sixth
of New England and is home to 2.3 million residents, as well as to hundreds of plant and animal
species, many of which are priorities for state and/or federal protection. The Refuge was founded on
three pillars: land protection, cooperative management, and environmental education. Its unique
enabling legislation requires new approaches to working with diverse partners in Connecticut,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Through partnership efforts, including helping
to create the Friends of Conte Refuge, the Alliance supports long-term conservation of the most
important habitats within the Conte Refuge.
Quabbin to Cardigan
Corridor for Wildlife and Recreation in an area of Working Forests and Thriving Communities
The Quabbin to Cardigan Conservation Partnership is working to conserve priority lands
within the 2 million-acre Monadnock Highlands of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The
Monadnock Highlands are one of New England’s most important remaining forest blocks, featuring
highly productive timberlands, valuable recreation and wildlife lands, and headwaters for the
Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers. The 25-member “Q2C” Partnership, led by the Society for the
Protection of New Hampshire Forests, has identified more than a million acres of core conservation
lands and complementary areas that deserve conservation and good stewardship. These lands form
an impressive corridor stretching from the pristine Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts all
the way to New Hampshire’s Cardigan Mountain, which lies on the edge of the White Mountain
National Forest.
Page 10
The Cardigan Highlands project will conserve nearly 9,300 acres of
ecologically exceptional working forest between Mount Cardigan and the
White Mountain National Forest through a Forest Legacy easement.
The project comprises two tracts – the 6,578 acre Green Acres Woodlands
tracts and the 2,700 acres Kimball Hill tract. The two tracts were reviewed
and ranked by the New Hampshire Forest Legacy Committee as separate
projects for FY09, and were ranked #2 and #3 respectively.
The Cardigan Highlands project protects the full range of ecosystem
services targeted by the Forest Legacy program, including productive
timberland and unique forest communities, high-quality surface and
ground water, exceptional fish and wildlife habitat, and extensive
recreational and historic resources. As working woodlands, the Cardigan
Highlands tracts yield a sustainable annual flow of fiber to area pulpwood
markets, logs to local and regional sawmills, and biomass chips to local
wood energy plants. Field surveys of the Green Acres and Kimball Hill
tracts have confirmed exemplary natural communities including pockets
of mature northern hardwood-spruce fir forest, an acidic sphagnum forest
seep, intact old growth forest, spectacular gorges, and red spruce swamp.
PROJECT DETAILS
Size: 9,278 acres
Type: Conservation easement
FY10 Forest Legacy Request: $3.77 Million
Total Project Cost: $4.95 Million
Project Sponsor: Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
LWCF: Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge –
NH, VT, MA, CT
With the strong endorsement of the Friends of Silvio O. Conte
NFWR, the Conte refuge is seeking $2.965 million from LWCF
for acquisitions in VT, NH, MA, and CT. There are important
opportunities for refuge acquisitions that will enhance the conservation
value of existing units and create a new Conte refuge presence in other
areas. Opportunities in Vermont include acquisition of inholdings
in the Nulhegan Unit, which will support ongoing efforts to improve
recreation opportunities for visitors. Opportunities in New Hampshire
include important additions to the Pondicherry Unit that will conserve
wetland habitat and other key natural areas. In New Hampshire, there
is an exciting opportunity that is ready to go pending approval of the
new Mascoma River Unit in the Comprehensive Conservation Plan
currently working towards completion. Additional opportunities include
valuable acquisitions in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Acquisition of
these parcels will protect water quality and wildlife habitat and support
efforts by the Friends of Conte and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to
improve public recreation and educational programs across the refuge’s
diverse conservation focus areas.
PROJECT DETAILS
Size: Varies by unit
Type: Fee
FY10 LWCF Request: $2.965 Million
Project Sponsors: The Nature Conservancy,
The Trust for Public Land, The Conservation Fund
Page 11
Connecticut River
Corridor
Forest Legacy: Cardigan Highlands
Maine Woods: Importance and Opportunities
The Historic Heart of the Northern Forest
and the Alliance
Maine Woods
S
ince the Northern Forest Alliance was created more than
fifteen years ago, the Maine Woods has been an area of critical
importance for the Alliance and a centerpiece to many
conservation and community projects.
From conserving vast tracts of the forest to organizing
communities to help them address change, the Alliance has always
believed that what happens in the Maine Woods is a marker for
what may occur elsewhere in the Northern Forest. Like much of the
Northern Forest, the Maine Woods still feels remote and pristine.
But it is increasingly accessible and attractive to new residents
and second-home owners. In this increasingly crowded world, the
Northern Forest Alliance is dedicated to protecting the region’s
traditions and the diverse values of its forests that include:
Timber and Fiber – A strong forest industry remains vital to the
region’s future.
Outdoor Recreation – Diverse recreation opportunities, from skiing
and paddling to hunting, trapping, and snowmobiling, are central
to the region’s cultural heritage and economy.
Fish and Wildlife – The Maine Woods supports diverse fish and
wildlife populations. Both game and non-game species are culturally
and economically significant.
Since 1998 a staggering 6.8 million acres – well over half of
Maine’s Northern Forest – have been sold to new owners. Land
ownership has moved from a few traditional timber companies
with long-term interests to a larger number of landowners with
varying short-term goals: REITs like Plum Creek, timber investment
management organizations (TIMOs), pension funds, and private
landowners buying so-called “kingdom lots” for their personal use.
The Alliance is committed to working as a coalition, with new local
partners, and with our Congressional Delegation, to sustain the
many values of the Maine Woods and ensure that this vast region
continues to thrive.
Page 12
The Katahdin Forest Expansion Forest Legacy project will conserve 19,647 acres of strategically
placed inholdings and buffer areas among state lands in the Katahdin Region – an area of more than
500,000 acres that includes Seboeis Lake, the 100-Mile Wilderness, Baxter State Park, and the Allagash
Wilderness Waterway. All five properties in the project have traditionally been under active commercial
forest management and key contributors to the local wood-products industry and the economies of
Millinocket and Brownville. In addition, the properties contain critical wildlife habitat, including nesting
areas for 29 loons on Seboeis Lake and a major deer-wintering area west of Northwest Pond.
The project will ensure highly valued recreational opportunities for
sportsmen and anglers, and keep Maine’s popular snowmobile trail ITS 85 open
in the face of proposed closure. These lands are also critical for hikers because
they are part of the viewshed from the peak of Mount Katahdin, and spectacular
views of that iconic mountain can be seen from the project area.
PROJECT DETAILS
Size: 19,647 acres
Type: Fee
FY10 Forest Legacy Request: $3.7 Million
Total Cost: $9.0 Million
Project Sponsor: The Trust for Public Land
Page 13
Maine Woods
Forest Legacy: Katahdin Forest Expansion, Maine
Forest Legacy Opportunities in The Green Mountain State
Green Mountains
Eden Forest, Vermont
PROJECT DETAILS
The Eden Forest project will use Forest Legacy funding to conserve 5,739
acres of highly productive working forest adjacent to Vermont’s famed Long
Trail. Eden Forest is a highly strategic conservation parcel, situated within a
30,000-acre block of unfragmented working forest along Vermont’s Northern
Green Mountains. The size of this property presents a unique opportunity to
conserve both lowland and upland forest habitat that contains the watershed
of two Gihon River headwaters streams and the partial summits of Bowen and
Butternut Mountains.
The property’s key habitats include black bear production areas that support
high densities of cub-producing females. Once conserved, the property will
provide a substantial buffer to the Long Trail and some of its most important
side trails while allowing other public recreational activities such as hunting and
snowmobiling to continue. The project will also protect a scenic viewshed seen
from Route 100 and Route 118 that is a vital tourism resource.
Size: 5,739 acres
Type: Conservation Easement
FY10 Forest Legacy Request: $2.2 Million
Total Project Cost: $5.33 Million
Project Sponsor: The Trust for Public Land
Adams Pond, Vermont
PROJECT DETAILS
Size: 1,932 acres
Type: Conservation Easement
FY10 Forest Legacy Request: $1.62 Million
Total Project Cost: $2.17 Million
Project Sponsor: Vermont Land Trust
The Adams Pond project will use Forest Legacy
funding to conserve 1,932 acres of productive working
forest in eight parcels near Vermont’s Northern Green
Mountains. This cooperative effort to conserve local
forestlands, led by the local landowners themselves, can
be a model for conservation in this part of Vermont.
This project lies in the heart of the Cold Hollow to Canada Forest Link, identified by the Wildlands
Project, The Nature Conservancy, and Two Countries-One Forest as a critical wildlife habitat area that is
at particular threat of development due to its proximity to so many growing population centers in Vermont
and Quebec. A conservation easement on these parcels would ensure that rather than being fragmented
over time, these lands will continue to be available for forest management, wildlife habitat, and recreational
access in perpetuity.
Page 14
Historic Conservation Opportunity in the Adirondacks
The historic Follensby Pond Tract – situated in the heart of the most breath-taking
portion of New York’s Adirondack Mountain region – represents a rare conservation
opportunity of unparalleled ecological and cultural significance. One of the last great
intact, undeveloped Adirondack parcels, Follensby’s 14,600 acres include: 10 miles of
frontage on one of New York’s longest and most important rivers, the Raquette; the 970acre Follensby Pond; and a 15-mile boundary (on three of its four sides) with state-owned
“forever wild” Preserve lands, including the 197,511-acre High Peaks Wilderness Area to the
east. The parcel contains high-quality forests, wetlands, and waters, including 11.5 miles of
undeveloped shoreline on the Pond, a remote section of which was the site of a successful
bald eagle reintroduction program in the 1980s. It has been identified as a high priority
for protection through a region-wide “highest conservation priority mapping” process,
that built on decades of ecological assessment work within the Adirondacks. Additionally,
the site has considerable historic importance as the place where, in 1858, Ralph Waldo
Emerson convened the “Philosophers’ Camp,” an extended meeting of the best-known
thinkers of the day. At this camp, they tested their mettle for the first time in a truly wild
setting, famously honing the principles of Transcendentalism, which in turn gave rise to
the American conservation movement.
The 6-million-acre Adirondack Park, the largest protected area of any kind in the
continental U.S. is actually a mosaic of public and private lands. Less than half the land,
however, is “park” (protected as “forever wild” by the state constitution), leaving many
ecologically significant places vulnerable to damaging alterations. Adirondack forests
typically have more short-term financial value subdivided and developed as vacation
properties than as timberland. Even in difficult economic times, the Adirondacks are
attractive to those seeking seasonal homes, and the Tupper Lake area, which includes
Follensby Pond, is no exception. Because of the Pond’s celebrity status, location, and
recreational values it is a prime target for development.
PROJECT DETAILS
Size: 14,600 acres
Type: Fee acquisition
FY10 Forest Legacy Request: $7.0 Million
Total Cost: $19.0 Million
Project Sponsor: The Nature Conservancy
Page 15
Adirondacks
Forest Legacy – Follensby Pond, New York
Conserving the Northern Forest and its Communities
A Call to Action
Now More Than Ever – A Place and Time of Hope
The Northern Forest remains a place brimming with positive energy and momentum, from its strong and diversifying
forest-based economy to the proliferation of community-led conservation and economic initiatives that are building a
foundation for the region’s future. We must continue to make investments in the region and its communities to maintain this
positive direction. Programs highlighted in this document chart a direction forward for the region that the Alliance believes
will ensure positive results.
A Call to Action
Facing the Challenge of an Economic Downturn
Our nation faces a time of unique challenges that strain the capacity of the state and federal government to respond. It is
critical in times like these that there be adequate funding available to make the investments required for the land and people
of the Northern Forest — investments that have consistently paid off in the past. The federal government should continue to
be a catalyst for investment in sectors that provide so many diverse benefits and should strive to fund the critical programs and
projects at levels sufficient to ensure success.
Finding Your Voice for the Northern Forest
Interested citizens should become educated about the projects and legislation profiled in this publication and add their
voices to the conversation. Congress will deliberate on its conservation and community enhancement spending plan for
FY10 over the summer of 2009, and investments in our traditional conservation programs Forest Legacy and Land and Water
Conservation Fund; the critically important State and Private Forestry programs; and the exciting new Northern Border
Regional Commission, Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program, and Community Wood Energy Program,
will all bear fruit for the Northern Forest if we work together to ensure their success.
Additional information about how to become more involved is available at the Northern Forest Alliance website —
www.northernforestalliance.org — or from any of the member groups listed on the back of this publication. We urge you
to get involved and be an engaged citizen of the Northern Forest!
Page 16
Summary: FY10 Northern Forest Requests
State
Project
Acres
Forest Legacy
ME
Katahdin Forest19,647
Forest Legacy
ME
Rangeley High Peaks13,446
Forest Legacy
NH
Cardigan Highlands 9,278
Forest Legacy
NH
Mahoosuc Gateway II15,200
Forest Legacy
VT
Eden Forest 5,739
Forest Legacy
VT
Adams Pond 1,932
Forest Legacy
NY
Follensby Pond14,600
FLP Total79,842
LWCF
NH
Lake Umbagog NWR
3,090
LWCF
NH
Mahoosuc Gateway I
5,970
LWCF
NH & ME
White Mountain National Forest 680 total in multiple parcels
LWCF
NH, VT, CT, MA Silvio O. Conte NWR
Varies by unit
LWCF
VT
Green Mountain National Forest 1,560 total in multiple parcels
LWCF
VT
Chateauguay – No Town NST
1,000
LWCF Total
12,300
FY10 Request
$ 3.7 M
$ 3.46 M
$ 3.77 M
$ 5.0 M
$ 2.2 M
$ 1.62 M
$ 7.0 M
$26.75 M
$ 4.5 M
$ 1.375 M
$ 0.96 M
$ 2.965 M
$ 2.25 M
$ 1.25 M
$13.3 M
Programmatic Funding Requests in FY10
Forest Legacy Program – $125 Million
Land and Water Conservation Fund, Federal Program – $325 Million
Land and Water Conservation Fund, State Program – $125 Million
Northern Border Regional Commission – $30 Million
Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program – $75 Million
Community Wood Energy Program – $5 Million
S&PF – Forest Stewardship Program – $45 Million
S&PF – Urban and Community Forestry Program – $36 Million
S&PF – Cooperative Lands Forest Health Program – $53 Million
S&PF – State Fire Assistance Program – $45 Million
Report Design: RavenMark, Inc. / Printing: Queen City Printers Inc. / Editing: Bruce Clendenning
Photography: Bruce Clendenning, Jerry Monkman/EcoPhotography, Larry Ely, Carl Heilman II, Sean Sullivan/NH Timberlands Owners Association,
Nancy Patch, Taso H, David Govatski, and Paul Tessier / Maps: Cathy Poppenwimer, Appalachian Mountain Club
Our thanks to all, as many images were either donated or greatly reduced in price.
Summary Requests
Program
Northern Forest Alliance
Conserving our Northern Forest for strong communities
and future generations
National Parks Conservation Association
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Council of Maine
Natural Resources Defense Council
New England Forestry Foundation
New York League of Conservation Voters
New York Rivers United
North Woods Stewardship Center
Residents’ Committee to Protect the Adirondacks
Rural Vermont
Sierra Club
Student Environmental Action Coalition
The Wilderness Society
Trout Unlimited – Basil Woods Jr. Chapter
Trout Unlimited – National
Trust for Public Land
Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands
Vermont Alliance of Conservation Voters
Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility
Vermont Land trust
Vermont Natural Resources Council
Vermont Public Interest Research Group
Vermont Woodlands Association
Vermont Woodnet
Vermont Youth Conservation Corps
World Wildlife Fund
Northern Forest Alliance
54 Portsmouth Street
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 834-3559
www.northernforestalliance.org
FY10 Opportunities
Adirondack Communities Advisory League
Adirondack Council
Adirondack Mountain Club
American Hiking Society
Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks
Audubon New York
Audubon Vermont
Biodiversity Legal Foundation
Catamount Trail Association
Chewonki Foundation
Citizens Campaign for the Environment
Conservation Law Foundation
Defenders of Wildlife
Environmental Advocates
Environment New Hampshire
Forest Guild
Garden Club of America
Gorham Trails Land Trust
Green Mountain Club
Greensboro Land Trust
Jay Ericson Photography
Keeping Track
Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust
Maine Audubon
Massachusetts Audubon Society
MetaFore